I was thinking about brawns in the brain ship universe yesterday afternoon - specifically the issue of brawn fixation, which was eventually solved by Tia's drive for fully remote humanoid bodies.

I don't think this was ever a big problem in the BB universe. Brawns were screened very heavily, and the only person we really see acting on the idea was Niall, himself not a traditional brawn. But... the investment in the ships was pretty substantial, so even as a small problem, it was one the brains and the authorities would want to avoid, for financial reasons as well as concern for the brain involved.

How much training do you think the brains got in avoiding BF? Given that they're effectively indentured slaves anyway, is there scope for pre-selecting brawns of the non-intersecting sexual orientation (intentionally using an awkward phrase there rather than gender - we're not all hetero cis-sexuals) until the brain has achieved sufficient maturity to defuse any such tendency in future brawns? Is it even possible to reach such an age where one is incapable of loving/adoring or being an object of love or adoration?

Here's another set of ideas. What about brains pairing with each other for mutual support and companionship? Only permitting couples as brawns (if two legs are good, why not four?) - if brains are too pricey to waste by pairing them up, brawns are surely easier to accomodate, and you only need to train one of them fully.

But maybe BF is pretty unavoidable. Cooped up in a tin can for weeks or months with only another mind for company, and the 'marriage' extending for deacdes, wouldn't any of us form a deep and meaningful attachment? Is it being unprofessional, or simply being human?

Just been reading these books so this is a fun topic. Brawn fixation is much more of just a passion/physical thing more than it was adoration, wasn't it? I think Helva/Jennan had a healthy adoration and the beginning of the Niall relationship was based on Niall's fixation or perversion. That turned into something else eventually but that's what it seemed to be to me.

Helva was certainly concerned enough by the problem that she was on edge about it, so it must have at least been considered a real threat by the central worlds to program it into the brains to react. So I guess the "Cooped up in a tin can for weeks or months with only another mind for company, and the 'marriage' extending for deacdes, wouldn't any of us form a deep and meaningful attachment?" you mentioned would be the most apt. I'd just say it's not quite a meaningful attachment, it's physical sex drive.

Well the investments that Tia made, was with a firm that was made up shellpersons, with one softshell as a token, or something like that. They did bought out their contracts before going free-lance, and one acted as prox for Tia when she bought the company, and had them make her a body, they also made the paint set, that was used too, dang my books are packed up at the moment, running on memories from re-reading the books

It's interesting because all the others are cowritten with various authors, so the writing styles are very different. So when you do read them, if you're having trouble staying interested, don't give up on the rest of them!

Well, the military arm of Central Worlds did have a double brawn setup, as shown by Pol, Chria and Neil in TSWSearched. They didn't have enough brains to double up I expect, but in any case I think the problem was more acute on the side of the brawn rather than the brain. It's a shame we never saw a setup with a male ship and a female brawn in any detail, even though the Brendan/Boira setup in the Crystal Singer books had some potential for more stories.

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I think the main reason that Military BB ships had two Brawns was the aspect of the ships being heavily armed and intended to go into combat situations. I guess the closest similarity would be the Two Key System used in Nuclear Launch Bunkers.

Wasn't male brain ship, with a female scout, that brought back in the End of Killashardra, just got back from a Blind Outreach Meeting, and I do have a hard copy, but its getting to late for me to dig, the group forgot to tell, the judge that Killa and Lars were partnered as lover's and it effected the outcome of that trial

Chadria: (K) Brawn of the scout ship CS914, which transported Killashandra and others from Optheria Samel: (K) Brain of the scout ship CS914, which transported Killashandra and others from Optheria http://www.ballybran.org/people.htm

It's interesting because all the others are cowritten with various authors, so the writing styles are very different. So when you do read them, if you're having trouble staying interested, don't give up on the rest of them!

Oh I'll eventually get around to reading all of them I'm really excited that there's a Mercedes Lackey one.

Wasn't male brain ship, with a female scout, that brought back in the End of Killashardra, just got back from a Blind Outreach Meeting, and I do have a hard copy, but its getting to late for me to dig, the group forgot to tell, the judge that Killa and Lars were partnered as lover's and it effected the outcome of that trial

Chadria: (K) Brawn of the scout ship CS914, which transported Killashandra and others from Optheria Samel: (K) Brain of the scout ship CS914, which transported Killashandra and others from Optheria http://www.ballybran.org/people.htm

Yeah, that one too.

__________________Decaf coffee is an oxymoron. Instant coffee is an abomination. Give me the real thing and nobody gets hurt.
"Do. Or do not. There is no try" -- Yoda
VP of the Afra Lyon fan club!